Jan 10, 2013

how to kick bad habits to the curb in 2013 - guest post by Kay

It's the new year, and that
means it's resolution time. Do you want to lose weight? Quit smoking? Start
exercising more? You've probably tried to do these things in the past but,
unfortunately, were not successful. It can be very difficult to break a habit
or to start a new one.

Whether you want to stop
eating junk food, stop smoking, stop drinking, or stop NOT exercising, here's
how you can kick that bad habit in 2013 and start making healthier choices:

The first thing you can do
to help you achieve your goal is to announce it in some way. Tell friends about
your plan. Share it with family. Even just write it down. If you talk about it
to others or write it down, it makes the plan more "real" and helps
you to take action. Plus, when you tell friends and family, they will surely
follow up to ask you how it's going, providing some measure of accountability.

Get to the Root of the Problem

Maybe you smoke now because
you're addicted. Or you eat a lot of junk food because it has become a habit.
But why did these habits start? Do you smoke because you feel anxious or
stressed out? Do you eat when you're bored or upset? Understanding why you
engage in your bad habit can help you to break it. You can address the
emotional or situational issues and find healthy solutions.

You don't have to go cold
turkey to kick a habit necessarily. If you really love junk food, you can eat
healthier versions of some of your favorite foods, such as cakes and cookies
made with natural sweeteners or pizza made with whole wheat crust and low-cal
cheese. If you smoke, you can switch to an electronic cigarette to get the same
feel of smoking without the harmful side effects. Figure out ways that you can
make healthy substitutions, and you can make giving up the habit a little
easier.

Avoid Triggers

There are many triggers that
might cause you to want to indulge in your bad habit. For example, many smokers
say they feel a strong urge to smoke when they are hanging out with friends or
when they go to a bar and are drinking. Maybe you always want to reach for a
bag of chips when you are sitting on the couch and watching TV.

Once you identify what your
triggers are, find ways to avoid them. This doesn't have to mean never watching
TV again, for example. But instead, maybe you can change other aspects of your
TV watching, such as sitting in a different chair or watching in another room.
By changing the situation, you can change your reaction to it.

You don't have to keep
repeating the cycle in 2013. You can break the bad habits you want to be free
of and replace them with healthier habits and lifestyle choices instead. Follow
these simple tips to get you started and to make this the year that you finally
break the cycle for good.

What bad habits do you want
to break this year? Share your resolutions in the comments!

Kay Winders is presently the resident writer for badcreditloans.org, where she researches the best way for people to pay
off their debts without damaging their credit. In her spare time, she enjoys
freelance writing, the beach and gardening.